Kalopia
Kalopia, known more officially as the the Republic of Kalopia, is a country situated in Southeast Majatra. Bordering Kafuristan and Solentia to the east and and Deltaria and Jakania to the west, Kalopia is the world's only predominanty Hellenic state and is currently the largest in the world, with a population of 452 million. To the north lies the Majatran Sea and to the south is the Perarctic Ocean. Off the mainland lie a number of Kalopian-controlled islands, islets, and rock islands. The modern state of Kalopia traces its roots back to a league of city-states that represented an ancient Hellenistic civilization, considered by some scholars to be the cradle of civilization. It is seen by many on Terra to be the birthplace of democracy, philosophy, historiography, political science, literature, drama, and many major scientific and mathematic principles. For centuries, ethnic Kalopians lived in exile from their historical lands, but following the birth of the Neo-Hellenistic movement in 2620, Kalopians began migrating back to the region in an effort to restore the Hellenic homeland. After a long fought political struggle, the modern Imperial Lands of Kalopia were formed in 2698. Kalopia is a representative democracy with a parliamentary system and universal suffrage. The Grand Secretariat serves as the head of state, in place of the long-absent Imperial dynasty. The Prothypourgous serves as the head of government and runs the Imperial Cabinet, and the Koinoboulio. Kalopia is a developed nation with an ever-expanding economy and is a former member of the Global Peacekeeping Organization and a regular attendee at the Walburg Conference. Polykratos is the capital city, and the largest city is Siphina City. =Geography= Located in the center of the Majatran continent's eastern peninsula, the Republic of Kalopia is a coastal nation, bordering the Majatran Sea to the north and the Perarctic Ocean to the south. In both bodies of water, however, the Kalopian territorial sea claim extends out 12 nautical miles from shore, encompassing a number of chains of islands, rock islands, and islets. To the west, the nation borders a notorious regional power, the state of Old Czarist Deltaria and the affable, historically neutral United Jakania. Kalopia's eastern neighbors include the historically unstable and sometimes antagonistic People's Republic of Kafuristan and the largely introverted Federal Republic of Solentia. Consisting of 1,147,200 sq km, Kalopia is only the 25th largest nation of Terra by area, despite being the first in terms of total population. It currently consists of five separate regional subdivisions, or provinces, more traditionally known as Exarchates. These are: Minosassa, Mossavi, Sessold, Siphina, and Hondilton. The nation is legendarily mountainous, with just over eighty percent of its land consisting of mountains or hills. It is home to the infamous Heraklian Alps, which strech across Minosassa and Mossavi and are considered some of the world's toughest terrain, as well as the Dinaric Mountains, in Hondilton, which contain four of Terra's ten highest mountain peaks in the world, including the semi-mythical Mount Hellas, once thought to be the home of the gods. Outside of its many urban centers and harsh terrain where plant life is unable to flourish, the Kalopian environment consists primarily of deciduous and mixed woodlands environments. The provinces of Siphina and Sessold are notable in that they are much less mountainous, consisting mainly of expansive plains. These provinces are considered an important economic region in the nation because they are among the few arable places in Kalopia, and essentially constitute the breadbasket of the Imperial Lands. The northern coastal region of Kalopia features what is known as a Mediterranean climate, with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. The southern coast and particularly mountainous areas of the nation experience an Alpine climate, with much higher temperatures as elevation increases and regular snowfall in the winter. The central region between these two coastal areas has a more moderate, temperate climate with only mild changes between the seasons. rather than extremes. The geography of Kalopia gives it access to many natural resources, primarily: lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite, marble, salt, and hydropower potential. =Government & Politics= The Kalopian government is a fairly complicated one, which recognizes the separation of powers with three traditional branches of government. Officially, the Imperial Lands are a constitutional monarchy, but had abandoned their monarch in place of an elected Grand Secretariat since the overthrow of the "Queens' Government" in 2737, until 2795 when the position of Autokrator was created. In technical terms, the nation is a multi-party parliamentary democracy, but today there are only two major political movements, the Quasi-Libertarian Party and the Imperial Patriotic League. However from 2763 to 2791 the nation was firmly dominated by the Quasi-Libertarian Party, whose critics alleged voter fraud and intimidation, since 2763. The government consists of three separate branches of government, with equal power: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial. The three branches are united under the banner of the Autokrator, or emperor, whose role is mostly ceremonial, but can at times exert his influence on branches of government. The current Autokrator is Nikolaos Ballantynos, who has ties to the Imperial Patriotic League. The legislative branch of government, the Koinoboulio, is charged with actually deciding the laws of the Imperial Lands. The Koinboulio consists of 500 democratically elected lawmakers, representing constituencies across the five provinces through a proportional algorithm that gives a very small advantage to larger regions. Representatives to the Koinboulio serve for a term of 48 months, or 4 years. The executive branch of the government consists of the cabinet, and is concerned with putting the law into action, performing day-to-day affairs of governance, and conducting foreign affairs and diplomacy. The cabinet consists of a number of ministries tasked with specific areas of action (Defense, Agriculture, or Finance, to name a few), combined under the leadership of the First Minister, or the head of government. The current First Minister is Colonel Anaxander Kanaris of the Imperial Patriotic League. The judicial branch of government, finally, is supposedly apolitical and is thus fully independent of the above two branches. It forms a system of regional and national courts who interpret the law in the name of the Autokrator and provides a mechanism for the resolution of conflict between Kalopian citizens and on Kalopian soil. =History= Classical Kalopia (Pre-1141) In antiquity, Kalopia was considered one of the most advanced, enlightened civilizations of its age. Consisting of a league of loosely affiliated city-states, classical Kalopia was not a state in the traditional sense, but was bonded together through connections in culture, language, and ideals. At certain points in history, Kalopian city-states are known to have controlled, settled, or otherwise heavily influenced the entire Majatran continent and parts of Seleya and Artania. The Kalopians experienced new heights in economic growth for their time, which resulted in previously unmatched cultural feats in architecture, drama, science, philosophy, and democracy. Though generally politically disunited, the cities of Kalopia were known to frequently band together when combating their rival tribes, the Minosasa, the Mossavi, the Sessold, the Siphina, and the Hondilton. Eventually, Kalopian civilization gave way to the crushing military might of the early Deltarians. Though not at all times officially controlling the region, evidence supports the idea that Deltarian influence strongly affected the area. Under Deltarian leadership, Kalopians were expelled from their homeland, for fear that they might regroup and overpower the Deltarian presence in the area. As a result, Kalopians settled in nations across the world, such as Kundrati, Kazulia, and Kafuristan. Though separated from Kalopia for over one thousand years, in what became known as the Hellenic Diaspora, Kalopians strongly held on to and celebrated their cultural heritage. With the Kalopians out of the way, Deltaria became the undisputed power in the region, politically controlling the other tribes of the region. Eventually the Minosasa, Mossavi, Sessold, Siphina, and Hondilton tribes grew to be the largest and most advanced of these groups, though still paying homage to the Deltarians. By the 12th Century, however, Deltarian control over Kalopia seems to have dwindled and finally having been removed by 1120. The absence of a notable power in the region created a vacuum which was soon filled by a newly dominant tribe, the Minosasa. Old & Middle Wantuni (1141-1270) Traditionally, the beginning of Wantuni history begins with the birth of Chief Watumba in the year 1141. Born to the chief of the Minosasa tribe, Watumba had always been expected to inherit the rulership of the Minosasa people, but according to Wantuni myth, Watumba recieved a divine message that turned his course in a much more ambitious direction. Legend states that Watumba was approached by the Minosasa God of Nature, who instructed him to lead the warring tribes of the region to unity and prosperity. The following year, Watumba came to rule the Minosasa after his father, Chief Oliki. Acting in accordance with his supposed vision, Watumba politically united the ruling dynasties of the Minosasa and Siphina tribes by marrying Kiri, the Princess of the Siphina. He then turned to the neighboring tribe of Sessold, crushing them in a two-pronged attack from both the Minosasa and Siphina tribes. Feeling threatened by Watumba's clear ambitions, the two remaining free tribes in the region, the Mossavi and Hondilton, allied to attack the Minosasa capital of Arx. A 30,000 strong Minosasan army met and defeated the combined 80,000 man army of Mossavi and Hondilton, through the strategic use of terrain by Watumba and his commanders, in the 1162 Great Battle of Arx. From there, Watumba and his armies mounted an eight year military campaign, finally declaring the tribes united in 1170. The next year, Watumba was declared the Great Chief of all tribes and formed the Wantuni dynasty. Colonial Wantuni (1270-2000) For hundreds of years, the ruling Minosasan tribe enforced a strict system of human tribute on the tribes it had conquered. By writ of the Great Chief, two young men per village in the Mossavi, Hondilton, and Sessold tribal areas, would be put into bondage every year. One man would be conscripted into the Great Chief's personal army and the other would be sold as a slave. This brought a newfound military strength and relative economic prosperity to the nation. Unfortunately for the Minosasans, the other provinces, oppressed and disgruntled, were made all too ready to seek out a new partner in governance because of these methods, and Wantuni became susceptible to the threat of colonialism. Throughout the middle of the 16th Century, foreign powers established colonial settlements on the shores of Wantuni. By the 1560s, such cities as New Oldtown, Port Faraday, Queenstown, and Plentinburg Falls has become bastions of colonial power. Eventually, these powers faded away and were replaced by a strong, if understated, Deltarian presence. Preying on divisions within the nations, Deltaria maneuvered itself into a position of political importance in the nation and the Great Chief became a political figurehead, subject to the every whim of the Deltarian establishment. At points, as much as 40% of the population consisted of Deltarian colonists and over 20% of the population had been sold into slavery to fund the Deltarian Empire across the globe. In 1750, Chief Mojeki, a descendant of a separate line of the Watuni dynasty living in exile in Solentia, raised a rebel force and, with the aid of the Solentian Empire , succeeded in driving out the Deltarian colonials, to the joy of much of the native populace. Celebrations of independence were short-lived, however, because Chief Mojeki soon declared his allegiance to the Solentian Empire. Under Solentia, Wantuni was given a comparatively wider berth of sovereignty and saw a period of calm and economic growth. As demographics shifted, the Solentian colonists began to overshadow the native peoples and the remaining Deltarians. At first, ethnic Solentians enjoyed the protection of the Solentian crown in their new lands, but soon began to find their influence overreaching and heavy-handed. Native Wantuni people soon became hateful of the harsh tributes in currency and human capital that Solentia demanded and, allying with one another, the two groups rebelled against the Great Chief and declared Wantuni and independent republic in 1930. Republican Wantuni (2000-2410) For three decades, the Republic seemed a strong and independent state, committed to the value of liberty. But in the early 2030s, Solentia, bitter over its loss, orchestrated a coup d'etat, replacing the republican government with an Emperor as their figurehead, supported by Solentian military forces. Banding together, dissidents and members of political parties of the Republic formed a resistance movement. With support from Kanjor, the resistance movement forced Solentia into a war of attrition that it did not have the resources to cope with. In 2376, Mikael von Löwenberg family, noble descending from both the Wantuni dynasty and a prominent Solentian settler family, was elected to the position of Emperor, establishing a Second Wantuni Empire. Homecoming (2410-2700) By 2415, small waves of Kalopians had begun trickling in to their long lost homeland, sporadically and in some number. Eventually, a mainstream political movement developed in Kalopian communities across the globe, supporting the re-establishment of Kalopia as a nationstate. Citing their historical ties to the land the Wantuni now occupied, Kalopians began to see the region as their birthright. By 2620, the first attempts to re-occupy the nation and declare Kalopia reborn had been attempted but, without strong leadership, had failed. As the Kalopian demographic grew quickly, with swathes of the urban class immigrating from Kundrati and Kazulia, and intermarried with other segments of society, it soon became one of the dominant ethnic groups within Wantuni. Its growing political power was further cemented by the arrival of a Kalopian upper class, including such visionaries as the Kafuristani-Kalopian oil baron and businessman Theodoros Aristocrat, who leant economic support to the idea. It was not until 2698, under the leadership of Kalopian aristocrats Nileas Metaxas and Aristotelis Sophus that the Independent Republic of Wantuni was declared the Aristokratiki Basileia of Kalopia. under the Metaxes and Sophus, in what became known as the "Queens' Monarchy" (in reference to their openly homosexual relationship), the nation experienced vast liberal reforms, in the vein of Kalopian values. Their legacy today remains the sexual liberation movement which they pioneered in mainstream Wantuni. Kalopian politician Pornidious Aristocrat, of the Kalopian Regime Coalition, was elected to lead the first democratic Kalopian government and frequently sparred with the ethnically Wantuni Quasi-Libertarian Party. He is today remembered for his program, still in place today, which calls for the return of all Kalopians across the globe to the homeland. This resulted in a sudden rise in population, which helped propel Kalopia to become one of the world's largest nations. Creation of Modern Kalopia (2700-2790) Throughout the next few decades, dissent began to fester among the mainstream population, as many began to feel that Niles Metaxas and Aristotelis Sophus had slowly morphed into iron-fisted dictators. In the fateful Elections of February 2737, the people rose up against the "Queens' Monarchy," and overthrew the institution, replacing it with a democratically-elected President, John Locke, head of the Quasi-Libertarian Party. Due to his failing health, Pornidious Aristocrat, still the head of government, was removed from his position of authority within the Kalopian Regime Coalition, now displaying socialist tendencies, to be replaced by Egoist Virginatos, marking a new period through his leadership when Kalopia hosted a major diplomatic event, the Terran Cooperation Summit, specifically aiming to unite the major powers of Terra. As the year wore on, it seemed evident that Virginatos was more and more often the one calling the shots behind Aristocrat, and pundits jokingly referred to the administration as the "Virginatos Government." Despite this seeming lack of control within his own nation, Aristocrat earned wide acclaim abroad for his part in the Global Peacekeeping Organization, of which he eventually became the Grand Secretariat. By July of 2740, in the midst of the Terran Cooperation Summit, conflict between ethnic Hellenistic Kalopians and Wantuni cultural conservatives flared up once more. Amid demonstrations and violent riots on the streets, as well as the loss of the police and army, the government called on the paramilitary militia of the Kalopian Regime Coalition to defend the capital city of Polykratos. Eventually, control of the government was wrested from the KRC and placed firmly in the hands of a more liberal, moderate coalition. Two years later, Pornidious Aristocrat died whilst giving a speech, under his authority as Grand Secretariat of the GPO, urging Egelion to join the organization. Around this time, the Kalopian Navy were deployed to Egelion, with the intent of being utilized to put down a rebellion in Trigunia, under the auspices of the GPO's First Military Command. In April 2746, Egoist Virginatos was assassinated in his cabinet the day prior to the FMC's launch of operations in Trigunia, with suspicion being pointed towards GPO's rival, NATO. With the death of Virginatos, the First Military Command was mustered out and the Kalopian fleet returned home. With the fall of their last great leader, the Kalopian Regime Coalition disbanded, and millionaire and prominent KRC member, Malekas Aristocrat was found dead. Eleven years later, his son, John Aristocrat, now running the Aristocrat Insurance Group, refounded the Kalopian Regime Coalition, in an effort to see the ideals of his father through to their ending. By June of 2761, John Aristocrat was elected to the position of Grand Secretariat of the Imperial Lands of Kalopia, the nation's head of state, on a platform of centralization and nationalism. Later that year, a major diplomatic incident occurred when a military aircraft, from anarchy-ridden Kafuristan, entered Kalopian airspace and bombed several rural villages. Kalopian ground and air assets destroyed the bomber and where then mobilized along the Kalopian-Kafuristani border. Soon, the Kalopian forces entered Kafuristan, as part of the GPO-lead Second Military Command, with the mission of restoring peace and order to the nation by eliminating several antagonistic rebel groups. During the course of the conflict, some violence spread over into Kalopian villages, but the mission ultimately proved successful. In 2762, Eric Kim, a longtime resident of Polykratos and quiet wealthy backer of several key Kalopian military projects, vaulted to the forefront of politics when he founded the Kalopian Unity Power Bloc, a political party, often allied to the KRC, that stressed Kalopian Nationalism and devotion, largely unexplained, to "Vril Power." After the elections of December 2763, the Kalopian Regime Coalition was supplanted by the KUPB, the Quasi-Libertarian Party, and the Democratic Socialists of Kalopia, amid criticism that it was too involved in foreign affairs and ignoring the needs of the ordinary Kalopian citizen. After this disappointing result for the KRC, they officially dismantled for a second time. From the 2760s onwards, the Imperial Lands of Kalopia was essentially ruled as a one party state run by the Quasi-Libertarian Party. Under Quasi-Libertarian rule, the Kalopian military once again saw action abroad, under the aegis of the Global Peacekeeping Organization. After a number of nuclear attacks throughout Terra by Pontesi-affiliated groups, the GPO mobilized the Kalopian fleet to launch a shoreline assault of Pontesi, in coordination with other GPO military forces. Rise of the Kalopian Empire (2790-2793) The direction of the nation was altered rapidly when, in the 2791 elections, the Imperial Patriotic League, a minor political party which had not yet ever held a single seat in the Koinoboulio, was vaulted to prominence, with just over 64 percent of the vote. Embracing the idea of Kalopian nationalism and sovereignty, the Patriotic League withdrew Kalopia from the Global Peacekeeping Organization, citing its asserting too much a degree of authority over Kalopia and its military, and ordered all Kalopian military forces under GPO leadership to return home. =Economy= Kalopia has a moderately regulated, but clearly capitalist economy, with a total GDP of Δρ 3,721,084,700,644, or a GDP per capita of roughly Δρ 8,092. Taking into account most exchange rates, this makes Kalopia a decently performing economy per person, but one of the world's wealthiest, in terms of total currency. In fact, most analysts consider Kalopia to be the world's second wealthiest nation in the world, just behind Beluzia, and the nation seen by many analysts as heading towards times of even greater prosperity. Currently, the majority Kalopia's major economic activities occur on the coasts, making these regions quite wealthy, in comparison to the somewhat less well off central, rural region of the nation. Given that Kalopia is a coastal nation, bordering seas to both the north and the south, the shipping industry is probably the largest component of the Kalopian economy. Ships flying the Kalopian flag are a common sight throughout the world, but particularly in the Majatran Sea and, according to the National Maritime Industries Board, the Kalopian merchant fleet accounts for possibly as much as 26% of the world's fleet capacity, making it one of the world's largest. The NMIB states that Kalopia ranks first in not only tankers and bulk carriers, but also containers, and ranks second in "other ships." Today's merchant fleet is at an all-time high of roughly 12,000 ships. Kalopia is host to literally hundreds of the world's major shipping firms, including the notable National Shipping Company, whose controlling interest is publicly owned. Given Kalopia's large maritime background, it is no surprise that fishing is another major industry within the nation. Though substantially smaller than Kalopia's merchant fleet, most estimates agree that the nation's commercial fishing fleet is larger than most. Primarily centered around the Majatran Sea, the Kalopian fishing industry caters mainly albacore, salmon, beluga, and bass. These fish are sold to major outlets across the globe, but are also popular at Kalopian fish markets, where live fish, fish meat, and fish products (such as caviar or fish oil) are sold freely. On the opposite coast, in the Perarctic Ocean, commercial fishing is not quite as large an industry, but is dominated heavily by whaling, in demand for whale oil, whale meat, and margarine. Perhaps the most notable component of Kalopia's economy is the tourism industry, from which it gains as much as 15% of its GDP. As recently as 2789, the capital city of Polykratos welcomed 34.9 million tourists. Kalopia has long been a major tourist attraction for its rich cultural tradition as a center of philosophy, science, and the arts; its historic sites; its well-known spas and thermal springs; and finally its scenic Majatran beaches. In the past, Kalopia had been criticized for lagging behind other nations, as far as tourism amenities and infrastructure were concerned, but in recent years such criticism has subsided. Kalopia now contains literally tens of thousands of hotels, ranging from family-oriented beach resorts to self-proclaimed "seven-star hotels," to inexpensive hostels designed for adventurers on a low budget, and such heavy tourism has given way to booming nightlife sectors in most urban areas of Kalopia. In order to transport such a large influx of tourists, Kalopia relies heavily upon its national carrier, Kalopian Airlines, and hundreds of smaller airlines across the nation. Another popular method of transport is by sea, and Kalopian cruise lines are becoming a popular attraction throughout the Majatran Sea. Despite limited space and resources, agriculture is also an important area of the Kalopian economy, with the most prominent products being wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, olives, tomatoes, wine, tobacco, potatoes, beef, and dairy products. Other fairly important sectors of the Kalopian economy include food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal products, mining, and petroleum. The service industry is a rapidly growing side of the economy, currently dominated by multi-service insurance giant Aristocrat Insurance Group, Ltd., with a number of Kalopian banking and financial service organizations gaining credence at home and around the world. =Military & Foreign Affairs= =Culture= Because Kalopia is revered around the world as the cradle of civilization and the progenitor of both Majatran and Artanian society, it is generally seen to be of rich and significant cultural importance. Notable traditional Kalopian cultural achievements include the invention of such ideas as democracy, philosophy, literature, historiography, political science, many mathematical and scientific principles, and theater. The culture of Kalopia is clearly not static, however, and has continued to expand and evolve. Kalopia displays clear influences of other Majatran nations, notably Kafuristan, Deltaria, Solentia, Selucia, and Wantuni tribespeople. As well as this, Hellenes from around the world, who have migrated back to Kalopia after centuries away, have brought back many cultural traditions of their host nations, creating a melting pot of Hellenic customs and beliefs. Sport Religion Demographics Education Holidays Customs Art Since its early days, Kalopia has been known for the distinctive architecture and sculpture that decorate its cities. Traditionally, major Kalopian structures have been built out of marble, though statues of bronze and other metals are existent. Traditional Kalopian architecture emphasizes a Grecian layout, a capitol style of column, and a central dome surrounded by a number of smaller domes. As ornamental structures, sculptures have played a large role in the decoration of Kalopia. Generally speaking, Kalopian sculptures consist of statues that memorialize gods of the ancient Kalopian pantheon, mythic Kalopian heroes, as well as modern and historic Kalopian military and civic leaders. Ancient Kalopian painting enjoys moderate fame, but it is primarily modern artistry that has won Kalopia its respect in the art industry. Though Ancient Kalopian works were marked by an attempt to create representations that mimicked reality, modern Kalopian art has largely abandoned that approach, in favor of a more symbolic view. Traditionally, Kalopian paintings are done on large wooden boards, but frescoes and murals have long been popular alternatives. The two major motifs of Kalopian art, typically monumental in nature, have long been the religious and imperial. Paintings seemingly deifying aristocrats, and celebrating the Kalopian Orthodox Church seem to decorate the interiors of most public buildings in the nation. Religious iconography is also a popular art form, with at least one image of Christ, the Virgin, or a saint in all churches and most Kalopian homes. Typically, icons are more religious than aesthetic, in an effort to display the presence of a particular religious figure. Kalopia experienced a golden age, in terms of literature, far back in antiquity. Ancient Kalopian works are still very much revered among academic circles, and, as some of Terra's first real full literary texts, are considered enormous contributions to world literature. Works of the early Kalopian era tended to be poems, epic in nature and in proportion, featuring legendary Kalopian heroes battling overwhelming odds and overcoming unbeatable tasks. Ancient Kalopia gave birth to many prominent forms of poetry and literature, such as: odes, pastorals, elegies, and epigrams. Ancient Kalopia saw the first attempts at historiography, as great poets began stringing together verses to record the histories of powerful Kalopian city-states. Finally, Kalopia was also the birth of theater. Kalopian playwrights emerged as a major source of entertainment for the common man, as well as aristocratic courts across Majatra, and penned both tragedies and comedies. In modern times, the legacy of Ancient Kalopian literature is heavily cherished. Theater and poetry enjoy much stronger support in Kalopia than they do in most nations, though other more contemporary styles of literature are also enjoyed by the Kalopian populace. Kalopia has an enormous movie industry, seen as a natural and modern outgrowth of the traditional theater, and a has produced a substantial number of critically acclaimed modern novelists. Beyond these several major areas, Kalopia has traditionally been known for its jewelry, metalworking, ceramics, enamels, steatites, and coin design. Philosophy The earliest recorded philosophical traditions began in ancient Kalopia, centuries before the Hellenic diaspora. A particular focal point of Kalopian philosophy has been the role of reason and inquiry. Many experts today readily agree that Kalopian philosophical ideas have shaped modern Terran thought, as we know it. Neither reason nor inquiry are concepts that originate with Kalopian philosophers, but Kalopian intellectual debate and the Kalopian-originating Theory of Forms propelled advances in geometry, logic, and natural sciences. By rejecting traditional religious and mythological explanations, the first of the triumvirate of great Kalopian philosophers, Leucimedes, presented Terra's first documented logical argument, in which he began a quest to explain the existence of life. His work and teachings paved the way for a promising student, Platocippus, to expand greatly on the concepts of ethics, physics, metaphysics, reason, knowledge, and life. Platocippus was one of the world's first champions of empiricist thought, and allowed for what would eventually evolve into the scientific method. Platocippus' own student, Aristoblichus became the third and final of the triumvirate of great philosophers. Taking the ideas of his mentors, Leucimedes and Platocippus, Aristoblichus attempted to apply them to a real world setting. A renowned thinker and philosopher, Aristoblichus focused his works on the ideas of justice, politics, and ethical behavior, and rose to fame as a tutor to many of Kalopia's classical civic and military leaders. Not just a thinker, but also an inventor, the man is credited with the creation of many significant inventions and observations, including the concept of democracy. The works of these three men lead to the massive expansion of philosophical thought throughout Classical Kalopia. Within decades of Aristoblichus' death, hundreds of academies and philosophical cults that relied upon his ideas had been created. Eventually, they gave birth to thousands of schools of Kalopian philosophical thought. Among the most prominent of these are Cynicism: which held that the purpose of life was to live virtuously in agreement with nature, rejecting wealth, power, health, and fame; Stoicism: which taught that destructive emotions where the result of errors in judgement; Hedonism: a school of thought that argued that pleasure was the most important pursuit of humanity; and Skepticism: a movement that preached inner peace by critically examining the world. In modern Kalopia, the traditions of philosophical thought and scholarly debate are held dearly. Like most developed nations, Kalopia maintains a system of higher education, where philosophy is heavily studied. However, unlike most others, Kalopia also has a thriving community of philosophical cults who celebrate the historic achievements of Kalopian and international philosophers, but also continue to expand philosophical thought through their own observations and findings. Though such cults are often seen as farcical and pseudo-scientific outside of Kalopia, they are heavily respected within its borders. Cuisine Heavily reliant on local agriculture and fishing, Kalopian cookery is unique, but shows clear evidence of influence from fellow Majatran nations, such as Deltaria, Kafuristan, and Selucia. In Kalopia, cuisine is based heavily around class and region. The diet of the aristocratic class is marked by unique and exotic lamb- or shellfish-based dishes with spices and seasonings from all over Majatra and around the world, occasionally laden with caviar from the Perarctic Coast. Fruits, honey-cakes, and and syrupy sweets are typically consumed after meals in higher class homes and dining establishments. The province of Mossavi is renowned for its wines, which are generally served alongside the meals of upper-class Kalopians. The styles of cuisine for average Kalopians, however, can be divided into Northern and Southern regional cuisines. Northern Kalopian cuisine relies heavily on olive oil, vegetables, breads, wine, fish, poultry, mutton, and rabbit. Salads are particularly popular and olives, cheese, eggplant, zucchini, and yoghurt are mainstays of the diet. Popular dishes include Souvlaki, a meat grilled on a skewer and marinated in oil, salt, pepper, and lemon; Keftededs, fried meatballs with oregano and mint; and Horiatiki, a tomato salad with cucumber, red onion, feta cheese, and kalamata olives, dressed in olive oil. Generally speaking, local wines are served with meals, and traditional Northern Kalopian desserts primarily consist of nuts and honey. Southern Kalopian meals differ substantially, largely as a result of the hardier environment, but also due to Deltarian influence in cooking. The Southern Kalopian diet consists heavily of wild game, deep sea fish, potatoes, cabbage, millet, mushrooms, barley, and wheat. The Southern Coast is known for its soups (both hot and cold), seasonal stews, porridges, dumplings, pies, and pancakes. Dessert is not commonly consumed, but the Southern Kalopian repertoire does feature a number of sweet porridge, pie, and pancake dishes. Some of the Southern Coast's more popular dishes include Pierogi, small stuffed buns, either baked or shallow-fried, with a number of filling options including: sauteed cabbage, sauteed mushrooms and onions, mashed potatoes with dill and green onion, or chopped and boiled fish with sauteed onions and eggs; Kalya, a high-fat and rich warm, watery, fish dish, with pickled cucumers, lemon, and caviar; and Olivie, a mayonnaise-based potato salad with capers, olives, eggs, and peas. Ale is the drink of choice in the South, although it is often switched for rakia, a traditional fruit brandy, or for pelin, a cheap, traditional wine. ---- Category:Nations